CINCINNATI, July 18 -- The Procter & Gamble Co. has filed a second federal lawsuit against the Amway Corp. and 11 of its distributors, accusing them of spreading rumors linking P&G to Satanism. The first lawsuit was filed last August against Amway and six high- ranking Amway distributors in a Utah federal court.
That case is scheduled to go to trial next year. P&G Senior Vice President James Johnson said, 'Amway's unfair competitive practices go much further than we initially believed. We want the damaging rumors and product disparagement to stop. We welcome tough competition, but Amway's practices are a disservice to consumers and P&G.' The latest legal action, filed this week in federal court in Houston, alleges Amway's distributors circulated rumors associating P&G and its products with Satan, and that the rumors created unfair competition, fraud and a violation of the Lanham Act and the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. If P&G is successful in its RICO lawsuit, it may be eligible for treble damages. P&G spokeswoman Elaine Plummer told UPI that during the past 16 years, her company has received reports about Amway's disparaging remarks about P&G's products.' The rumor said the number 666, the New Testament's mark of the beast, could be found in the curls of P&G's former moon-and-stars logo. Plummer said, 'A lot of people believe it. A lot of people who are educated believe it. We welcome the calls that we get where people want to ask us about this and to get clarification.' ---
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